The Madness of King George (1994)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Nicholas Hytner

Writers:

Alan Bennett (play)
Alan Bennett (screenplay)

Release Date:

28 December 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Comedy | Drama | History

Tagline:

His Majesty was all powerful and all knowing. But he wasn't quite all there.

Plot:

A meditation on power and the metaphor of the body of state, based on the real episode of dementia experienced...

Plot Keywords:

King George III | England | Porphyria | Medical | Costume Film

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 14 wins & 18 nominations

Cast

Nigel Hawthorne	...	George III
Helen Mirren	...	Queen Charlotte
Ian Holm	...	Dr. Willis
Rupert Graves	...	Greville
Amanda Donohoe	...	Lady Pembroke
Rupert Everett	...	Prince of Wales
Julian Rhind-Tutt	...	Duke of York
Julian Wadham	...	Pitt
Jim Carter	...	Fox
Geoffrey Palmer	...	Warren
Charlotte Curley	...	Amelia
Anthony Calf	...	Fitzroy
Matthew Lloyd Davies	...	Papandick
Adrian Scarborough	...	Fortnum
Paul Corrigan	...	Braun
John Wood	...	Thurlow
Nick Sampson	...	Sergeant At Arms
Jeremy Child	...	Black Rod
Nicholas Selby	...	Speaker
Barry Stanton	...	Sheridan
Struan Rodger	...	Dundas
Janine Duvitski	...	Margaret Nicholson
Caroline Harker	...	Mrs. Fitzherbert
Iain Mitchell	...	Farmer
Roger Hammond	...	Baker
Celestine Randall	...	Lady Adam
Cyril Shaps	...	Pepys
Michael Grandage	...	Amputee
James Peck	...	Willis' Attendant
Clive Brunt	...	Willis' Attendant
Fergus Webster	...	Willis' Attendant
Barry Gillespie	...	Willis' Attendant
Joe Maddison	...	Willis' Attendant
Selina Cadell	...	Mrs. Cordwell
Dermot Keaney	...	Footman
Peter Woodthorpe	...	Clergyman
Robert Swann	...	1st MP (as Robert Swan)
Alan Bennett	...	2nd MP
Collin Johnson	...	MP
Roger Ashton-Griffiths	...	MP
David Leon	...	Footman
Martin Julier	...	Footman
Dan Hammond	...	Footman
Nicholas Irons	...	Footman (as Nick Irons)
Peter Bride-Kirk	...	Royal Child
Eve Camden	...	Royal Child
Thomas Copeland	...	Royal Child
Joanna Hall	...	Royal Child
Cassandra Halliburton	...	Royal Child
Russell Martin	...	Royal Child
Natalie Palys	...	Royal Child

Directed by
Nicholas Hytner

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Alan Bennett		play "The Madness of George III"
Alan Bennett		screenplay

Produced by
Mark Cooper	....	line producer
Stephen Evans	....	producer
David Parfitt	....	producer

Cinematography by
Andrew Dunn

Film Editing by
Tariq Anwar

Casting by
Celestia Fox

Production Design by
Ken Adam

Art Direction by
Martin Childs		(supervising art director)
John Fenner

Set Decoration by
Carolyn Scott

Costume Design by
Sue Honeybourne
Mark Thompson

Makeup Department
Helen Barrett	....	makeup artist
Françoise Cresson	....	makeup artist
Helen Johnson	....	makeup artist
Di Roberts	....	makeup artist
Deborah Taylor	....	senior makeup assistant
Lisa Westcott	....	hair designer
Lisa Westcott	....	makeup designer

Production Management
John Bard Manulis	....	executive in charge of production: Samuel Goldwyn Films (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tariq Anwar	....	second unit director
Paul Higgins	....	third assistant director
Finn McGrath	....	second assistant director
Jez Murrell	....	third assistant director
Stuart Renfrew	....	third assistant director
Mary Soan	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Jason Babcock	....	plasterer
Nathan Batterbee	....	stagehand
Ronald Bede	....	chargehand stagehand
John Behan	....	carpenter
Malcolm Bensted	....	stand-by propman
Thomas Alexis Bhanji	....	construction runner (as Tom Bhanji)
Roy Biggs	....	stagehand
Leith Boler	....	props buyer
Dennis Bosher	....	draughtsman
Dave Buckingham	....	carpenter
Bob Cann	....	carpenter (as Robert Cann)
Eamon Cann	....	carpenter
Alan Cheevers	....	plasterer
Jane Clark	....	storyboard artist
John Clements	....	art stand-by
Darren Conway	....	plasterer laborer
Bill Dady	....	stagehand
Tony D'Amato	....	carpenter
Trevor Dyer	....	carpenter
Paul Garner	....	storyboard artist
Anthony Goddard	....	painter (as Tony Goddard)
Lee Goddard	....	painter
Jane Henwood	....	art department assistant
Matthew Higgins	....	painter
Kevin Huse	....	stagehand
Mark Impey	....	stand-by stagehand
Bryce Johnston	....	carpenter (as Bruce Johnston)
David Jones	....	stagehand
Maurice Jones	....	property master
Richard Jones	....	carpenter
Reginald Keywood	....	carpenter
Reginald Keywood	....	chargehand carpenter (as Regininald Wood)
Sabrina Lamonica	....	art department assistant
Bernard Leadbitter	....	carpenter
Mark Lee	....	plasterer
Bill Lowe	....	stand-by painter
Peter Mackey	....	plasterer
Roy Martin	....	painter
Binky Morrice	....	art stand-by
Philip Morris	....	stagehand
Jim Parker	....	stand-by propman
David Pitt	....	carpenter
Ken Powell	....	supervising plasterer
Doug Purdy	....	props storeman
Mark Raggett	....	stand-by art director
Robert Ramsey	....	plasterer
Simon Reeves	....	carpenter
Eric Regan	....	supervising painter
Syd Regan	....	painter (as Sidney Regan)
Anthony Rhone	....	painter (as Tony Rhone)
Bob Rose	....	plasterer (as Robert Rose)
Richard Shackleton	....	supervising carpenter
John Siddall	....	draughtsman
Vic Simpson	....	construction coordinator
Danny Skundric	....	dressing propsman
John Starkey	....	painter laborer
Anita St. John	....	art stand-by
Andrew Tombs	....	plasterer
Des Wallace	....	carpenter
Stephen T. Walsh	....	plasterer laborer (as Steven Walsh)
Steve Watts	....	plasterer (as Stephen Watts)
Jamie Wilkinson	....	propman
John Woods	....	plasterer
Steve Wotton	....	carpenter
Edwin Young	....	stand-by carpenter

Sound Department
Christopher Ackland	....	supervising sound editor
Roy Baker	....	foley artist
John Casali	....	sound recordist
Clive Copland	....	sound maintenance engineer
David Crozier	....	sound mixer
David Crozier	....	sound
Graham Farrow	....	assistant foley editor
Stan Fiferman	....	foley editor
Pat Gilbert	....	assistant dialogue editor
Dominic Lester	....	sound re-recording mixer
Richard Margoschis	....	sound atmosphere
Robin O'Donoghue	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jean Sheffield	....	foley artist
Jim Shields	....	dialogue editor
Elaine 'Chucks' Thomas	....	assistant sound editor

Special Effects by
Alastair Vardy	....	special effects technician
Stuart Conran	....	special effects makeup (uncredited)
Dave Crownshaw	....	snow effects supervisor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Peter Govey	....	opticals
Kent Houston	....	visual effects
Nigel Stone	....	visual effects: VistaVision
Jonathan Taylor	....	visual effects: VistaVision
Dean Yurke	....	digital artist

Stunts
Wayne Michaels	....	stunt coordinator
Gareth Milne	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Alex Bailey	....	still photographer
Keith Batterbee	....	rigger
Jim Beeby	....	gaffer
Steve Brooke Smith	....	focus puller: second unit (as Stephen Brook-Smith)
Trevor Coop	....	camera operator: second unit
David Cozens	....	clapper loader: second unit
Mike Frift	....	camera operator: second unit
Pat Garrett	....	grip: second unit
Robert Gurney	....	rigger
Keith Hamshere	....	still photographer
Philip Hill	....	camera trainee
Sid Hinson	....	rigger
Mike House	....	key grip
Ian Jackson	....	camera operator: second unit
Nigel Kirton	....	Steadicam operator
Brad Larner	....	focus puller
Simon Mills	....	focus puller: second unit
Jimmy Mullins	....	grip: second unit
Nick Penn	....	second assistant camera
Ronnie Rampton	....	best boy
William Richards	....	stand-by rigger (as Bill Richards)
Bill Sansom	....	chargehand rigger
Mel Sansom	....	rigger
Colin Strachan	....	grip: second unit
Brian Taylor	....	grip: second unit
David Toft	....	video operator
Robert Toft	....	video operator: second unit
John Turner	....	electrician
Patricia Van Over	....	first assistant camera (as Pattie Vanover)
George White Jr.	....	electrician (as George White)
Paul Wood	....	electrician
Danny Young	....	electrician
Alan Grayley	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Sasha Robertson	....	casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kate Allen	....	costume maker
William Baboo	....	costume maker
Irene Bohan	....	assistant costume designer
Anthony Brookman	....	wardrobe master
Naomi Critcher	....	production wardrobe
Ronald M. Davis	....	costume maker (as Ron Davis)
Judith Edgley	....	wardrobe
Amanda Hall	....	costume maker
Victoria Harwood	....	costume assistant
Sue Honeybourne	....	costume supervisor
Naomi Isaacs	....	costume maker
Sacha Keir	....	costume maker
Anna Kot	....	wardrobe mistress (as Anna Koy)
Jane Law	....	costume maker
Peter Lewis	....	costume maker
Sue Long	....	costume maker
Debbie Marchant	....	costume maker
Sabine McCrudden	....	costume maker
Stephen Miles	....	costume assistant
Steve Pokol	....	costume assistant
Meinir Roberts	....	costume maker
Alan Selzer	....	costume maker
Frank Simon	....	costume assistant
Brigid Strowbridge	....	costume maker

Editorial Department
Christopher Lloyd	....	first assistant editor
John Stanborough	....	color grader
Adrian Trent	....	second assistant editor
Sylvia Wheeler	....	negative cutter

Music Department
George Fenton	....	music adaptor: from the works of G F Handel
George Fenton	....	orchestrator
Keith Grant	....	music recordist
Isobel Griffiths	....	music contractor
Nicholas Kraemer	....	conductor: baroque music
Adrian Thomas	....	music post-production
Adrian Thomas	....	musician: synthesizer
Eliza Thompson	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Dominic Barlow	....	driver
Tony Bird	....	transportation manager
John Clarke	....	driver: bus dining
Stephen Cranny	....	driver
Mike Cuddy	....	driver: props car
Peter Gristwood	....	driver: props stand-by car
David Kipling	....	driver: wardrobe car
Joanna Lipper	....	driver
Richard Maurice	....	driver: crowd car
Cliff Raddley	....	driver: camera car
Simon Saunders	....	unit driver
Charlie Simpson	....	driver: road train
Brian Skeels	....	driver: make-up car
Terry Tapping	....	unit driver
John Vaughan	....	driver: bus dining
John Vaughan	....	driver: bus dining
Mark White	....	driver: construction car

Other crew
Jenny Adely	....	milliner
Dominic Barlow	....	runner
Steve Barrett	....	milliner
Bill Barringer	....	location finder
Liz Barron	....	financial consultant
Miles Barton	....	researcher
Thomas Alexis Bhanji	....	runner
Jean Bourne	....	script supervisor
Claire Chapman	....	production assistant
Cleone Clarke	....	floor runner
Paola Colpani	....	accountant
Stephen Cranny	....	runner
Frances Delmar-Morgan	....	production runner
Andrew Fox	....	military advisor
Joe Friedman	....	location scout
Lucy Gaiger	....	milliner
Francesca Gentili	....	production assistant
Jonathan Glendening	....	assistant to director
Dave Goodey	....	horse coordinator
Peter Govey	....	title designer: main title
Line Hilton	....	nurse
Vivien Jordan	....	production coordinator
Debbie Kaye	....	horse coordinator (as Debby Kaye)
Julie Linnane	....	accounting assistant
Joanna Lipper	....	runner
Lorraine McKee	....	milliner
Michael Mendelsohn	....	production financing
Rachel Neale	....	location manager
Ron Nichols	....	machinist
Howard Rayner	....	milliner
Lorraine Richards	....	milliner
Fran Robertson	....	location manager (as Francesca Robertson)
Patric Scott	....	unit publicist
Brian Shemmings	....	health advisor
Brian Shemmings	....	safety advisor
Ron Stenner	....	medical advisor
Amanda Stevens	....	assistant location manager
Harry Teacher	....	assistant: Mr. Adam
Peter Thompson	....	press representative

Production Companies

• Channel Four Films (present)
• Close Call Films
• Mad George Films
• Samuel Goldwyn Company, The (present)

Distributors

• Samuel Goldwyn Company, The (1994) (USA) (theatrical)
• Concorde-Castle Rock/Turner (1995) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Roadshow Entertainment (1995) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Sociedad Kino Visión (1995) (Spain) (theatrical)
• EDKO Film (Hong Kong)
• Hallmark Home Entertainment
• MGM Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Roadshow Entertainment Video (Australia) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Snow Business International
• Vendetta FX

Other Companies

• Shepperton Studios  movie studio
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• Set Meals  catering

Also Known As:

The Madness of George III (Australia)
The Madness of King George III (Australia)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements.

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS (8 channels)

Certification:

Brazil:14 | Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Germany:12 (w) | Hong Kong:IIA | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Arundel Castle, Arundel, West Sussex, England, UK

Company:

Channel Four Films

Trivia:

In reality, the Prince's illegal "marriage" to Maria Fitzherbert did not end until 1794 - about five years after the film's events. (They later reunited for a time after his disastrous marriage to Caroline of Brunswick.)

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The left side of the door has 1862 carved in it, even though the film is set in the 1780s.

Quotes:

Prince of Wales: [pointing to medal] What's that one?
Duke of York: Oh, I found out the other day that I'm Bishop of Osnabruck.
[pause]
Duke of York: Amazing what one is, really.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ken Adam: Designing Bond (2000) (V)

Soundtrack:

Zadok the Priest

The King Who Talked To The Trees - And Claimed They Talked Back

He was our last King, and the one we are raised to hate the memory of. And he was actually a hard working monarch, wrong headed at times, who had the longest reign (for any monarch - until Queen Victoria) in English history. He was George III (reigned 1760 - 1820 - the last nine years incapacitated by insanity and blindness). It was while he was ruling Great Britain that the American Revolution occurred, the French Revolution occurred, Napoleon rose and fell, and the industrial revolution hit Western Europe and the Americas. His is a key reign of modern history.

We are taught he was a tyrant. Actually he was a conscientious supporter of the British Constitution, but he believed the colonists were disobedient children who should have been punished for their own good. Once it was obvious that they had won on the battlefield, George offered to abdicate. He was talked out of it, and eventually faced up to accepting the papers of the new Minister from the United States, Mr. John Adams. But he never really fully accepted it, and in his last decade the two countries fought a second war (the War of 1812).

George III was a good, but strict family man. He and his wife Charlotte had seven sons and six daughters. But his sons were disappointments (the best one, Frederick, Duke of York, was a second-rate army commander who got involved in a scandal when his mistress, Mrs. Clarke, sold army commissions "in the name of the Duke of York" to undeserving men). The German Georges had a tradition of hatred between the Kings and their sons and heirs. George I was hated by George II because the former had imprisoned his wife (George II's mother) for life for infidelity (see SARABAND FOR DEAD LOVERS). George II was hated by his son, Frederick, Prince of Wales, and kicked the son out of the royal palace. Frederick died prematurely in 1758, so his son George III succeeded in 1760. His son, known as Florizel or "Prinny", had a long standing relationship with Mrs. Fitzherbert, a popular actress who happened to be Catholic. It was actually known by King George III that Prinny had an illegal marriage with Mrs. Fitzherbert. As head of the Church of England, George III resented this act. He also disliked Prinny's support of Whig politicians Charles James Fox and Richard Sheridan (and sometimes Edmund Burke). The King was a good Tory - he never realized that Prinny's politics were a way of annoying him, and Prinny was even more reactionary than the King was. Prinny's gambling and drinking debts also annoyed the King.

George was able to support the wise government (to 1789 anyway) of William Pitt the Younger. So supportive was he, that Pitt would reciprocate. For one day, in 1788, King George got out of his carriage in a forest, walked over to a tree, and had a long conversation with it. The tree, you see, was not a tree, but actually the now dead King Frederick the Great of Prussia. George III was showing signs of dementia. He was the first really certifiable monarch since Henry VI back in the 15th Century. George's son Prinny was ready to back a bill to remove his father and lock him away. Pitt saw Fox ready to replace him, and fought a long delaying action on the Regency bill. It worked, as Dr. Wills managed to bring the dementia under control.

It would only be in 1811, when Pitt was dead for five years (and Fox for four) that a Tory Government passed a Regency bill, but by then Prinny was openly anti-Whig. It was politically allowable for the Percival Ministry to chance Prinny as Regent by then. After George III died he would become George IV and reign until 1830.

This film has followed the tragic illness that incapacity (and eventually) destroyed George III, but only to the conclusion of it's first appearance in 1789. Nigel Hawthorne had performed the role to international acclaim on stage. He repeats it here, showing a thoughtful monarch (witness why he is upset about the errant colonies gaining independence - the valuable natural resources are lost, and he is aware of this). He is puritanical when normal, but with a son like Prinny who could blame him for being sorely disappointed. From the start you find yourself rooting for Hawthorne's monarch, who was not the evil tyrant that Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson painted.

Rupert Everett shows the callousness of the Prince of Wales, who is so selfish that at one point (when safely alone) Pitt and Fox wonder if their American cousins were right about abolishing the monarchy. Ian Holm, as Dr. Wills, is properly a mixture of early pioneer of psychology and tyrant. A wonderful film of how a national crisis was met and overcome peacefully. And timely too. Within weeks of the recovery of George III in 1789 the Bastille fell in Paris.